1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connector and to a connector assembly with a function of detecting a connected state.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-141145 discloses a connector that can detect a connected state. This connector has male and female housings that are connectable with one another. The female housing has a lock arm that is deformed in the process of connecting the two housings and is resiliently restored when the housings are connected properly to engage the male housing. A detector is assembled into the female housing and is movable between a standby position where the detector is retracted from a deformation space for the lock arm and a detecting position where the detector is in the deformation space. The detector contacts the lock arm in the deformation space if an attempt is made to push the detector from the standby position to the detecting position while the housings are connected only partly connected. Thus, the detector cannot be pushed to the detecting position. On the other hand, the locking arm exits the deformation space if the two housings are connected properly. Thus, the detector can be pushed to the detecting position, and the connected state of the two housings can be detected.
The construction of the accommodating portion for the above described detector is complicated, and the construction of a forming die for forming the female housing is complicated. Thus, production costs are high.
The present invention was developed in view of the above problem and an object thereof is to design a connector and connector assembly provided with a function of detecting a connected state such that the construction of a forming die for forming a housing can be simplified.